1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck safety apparatus, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a safety support and stop assembly for securing a dump body of a truck in an elevated position above the truck chassis frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trucks having a dump body pivotally mounted on a chassis-cab are commonly referred to as "dump trucks". In the conventional dump truck the dump body is located on the chassis frame rearward of the cab so that the front end of the dump bed can be selectively raised and lowered with respect to a rearward pivot point. When it is necessary for a mechanic or other laborer to work on various mechanisms of the dump truck, such as the drive shaft, various brake lines, the hoist, and the like, the dump body must generally be raised so that the mechanic can work thereunder and have access to the mechanisms being repaired or replaced.
In many instances the mechanic is required to lean over the chassis frame which places the mechanic's body in a dangerous position between the chassis frame and the dump body should the dump body descend unexpectedly. As a result, serious injuries and even death have resulted when the dump body accidentally descends from the dumping or raised position to a horizontal position. Because of the precarious position that the mechanic is often placed in while working on various mechanisms of the truck when the dump bed is in a raised position, it has become common knowledge among trained mechanics that the dump body should be blocked or propped when servicing or repairing the truck and the dump body is in the raised position. Various means have heretofore been proposed to block the dump body in a raised position, such as the use of large wood planks located at the pivot point to prevent unexpected decent of the dump body, or the use of an elongated wood planks or metal props to brace the body from its front end rather than at its pivot point.
In addition to the before-mentioned methods of bracing the dump body in the raised position, several dump body brace assemblies have been proposed by the prior art. Typical of such safety block mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,138,158 (issued Feb. 6, 1979), 4,372,614 (issued Feb. 8, 1983), 2,427,381 (issued Sept. 16, 1947), 3,813,124 (issued May 28, 1974), 4,218,094 (issued Aug. 8, 1980) and 4,305,619 (issued Dec. 15, 1981).
While each of the before-mentioned mechanisms have met with some success in preventing the dump body of a truck from dropping inadvertently and accidentally from its dumping position to a horizontal position on the truck frame, the need has still remained for an improved assembly which does not require modification to the truck and lends itself more readily to the mechanic and the mechanic's use of such assembly in propping the dump bed in the elevated or dumping position. It is to such an assembly that the present invention is directed.